In conventional integrated circuits, die attachment is the step during which a die is mounted and fixed to the package or support structure. A die in the context of integrated circuits is a small block of semiconducting material, on which a given functional circuit is fabricated. For high-powered applications, the die is usually eutectic bonded onto the package, using e.g. gold-tin or gold-silicon solder. For low-cost, low-powered applications, the die is often glued directly onto a substrate, such as a printed wiring board, using a solder or epoxy adhesive. Heat is often generated at die interfaces and attachment locations during operation of the device. This heat may result in thermal expansion of components. The heat dissipated at the die attachment location and associated thermal expansion may be an important system design consideration.